How to Crate Training Your Dog or Puppy

When it comes to crating your new puppy, what you want to do first and foremost is to treat the create like it is a place that your puppy or full grown dog is going to LOVE.  I had a client call me yesterday and tell that his dog pees in the crate because he does not like it in there.  I had to disagree with him.  I told him that my dog LOVES her crate.  I have always made it a safe and cozy area for her.  To this day, even when I am home and my dogs feels the need to have her own space she always retreats to her safe space THE CRATE!!!

I have always introduced the crate as a comfort place.  In doing that, when I wanted her to go in her crate I gave her a treat, one that she had to WORK on and take time to get to.  For example, I would get the KONG and fill it with peanut butter that I had in the FREEZER.  She LOVED it.  Even when I was home and wanted to relax and watch a movie without the dog jumping on me, I would get the frozen peanut butter Kong out of the freezer and throw it in her crate and she would hang out in the crate and eat her treat.

Another great treat for the Kong is just some of your dog or puppy’s dog food kibbles and put them in there for him/her to work on to get out.  They LOVE IT!!!  They will soon get the message that the crate it a great place to be.

Don’t ever feel bad putting your dog in the crate, they will soon find it a comfortable place to be (their own little den) and want to be in there when your not home or even when you are.  Just make sure that you are using the correct size crate for your dog or puppy.  It has to be big enough for them to be able to stand up in and turn around.

Another great idea is to get a hamster or bunny water bottle to hang in there just in case your dog get a little thirsty.  You can try that if you feel your dog may be a bit thirsty.  I don’t do it but I have of some people that do.  Not a lot of water will come out and they can just wet their whistle if need be.  I would not advise putting a water bowl in there because it will probably end up being a mess if they spill it or if they do drink the whole bowl  they will surely have to go potty… A MESSY CRATE AND DOG…

Below is a another great link from the humane society for helping you with your crate training your pet.

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/crate_training.html

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